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Tommy Graham

1943 – 2015

British politician

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About Tommy Graham

Lived 1943 – 2015 (aged 71). Tommy Graham was a British politician.

Thomas Graham (5 December 1943 – 16 April 2015) was a Scottish Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Renfrewshire West, previously Renfrew West and Inverclyde, from 1987 to 2001. A native of Glasgow, Graham worked as an engineer before serving on Strathclyde Regional Council from 1978 to 1987.

Early and parliamentary career Graham previously worked for Rolls-Royce as an engineer and as a shop steward for the engineering union AEEU.

He was elected in 1987 as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Renfrew West and Inverclyde, defeating the Conservative incumbent Anna McCurley. Following favourable boundary changes in 1997, he was elected for the new seat of Renfrewshire West.

McMaster suicide Following the suicide of his parliamentary colleague Gordon McMaster in July 1997, a long investigation was launched, since in his suicide note McMaster had accused Graham of smearing him that he had a homosexual affair with a 17-year-old employee of Graham's, called Scott Anderson. In September 1998, Graham was expelled from the Labour Party for "bringing the party into disrepute", despite his categorical denials of any wrongdoing. He became an independent and described himself as a 'Scottish Labour' MP.

Following his expulsion when Graham was asked where he would be sitting in the House of Commons, he replied, 'On my bum.' In fact, he actually sat on the opposition benches of the Commons but continued to vote with the government on many issues. It was thought that Graham would stand again at the 2001 general election, but he did not do so and quietly retired. His successor was Labour's Jim Sheridan. He died on 16 April 2015 following a brief illness.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Positions held
Member of the 52nd Parliament of the United Kingdom, Member of the 51st Parliament of the United Kingdom, Member of the 50th Parliament of the United Kingdom
Also known as
Thomas Graham

People in Tommy Graham's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Tommy Graham's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Tommy Graham?

British politician (1943-2015)

When was Tommy Graham born?

Tommy Graham was born on 5 December 1943 in Renfrewshire.

When did Tommy Graham die?

Tommy Graham died on 16 April 2015.

What was Tommy Graham's occupation?

Tommy Graham was a politician.

What nationality was Tommy Graham?

Tommy Graham was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Tommy Graham

· Wikidata: Q7819456

· DBpedia: Tommy Graham (Scottish politician)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Tommy Graham. https://biography.guide/tommy-graham/

MLA: "Tommy Graham." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/tommy-graham/.

Chicago: "Tommy Graham." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/tommy-graham/.

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